The Throb – Horror Fiction

Ananya woke up with her own cry, a shrill shriek as she opened her eyes. Her body was cold and
shuddering…A sudden thought flashed her shivering brain.
Nightmare! The same one! Yet again!
She looked at the dim light that escaped through the door, it relieved her racing heart. “It would have
been 3 am” she thought looking at the darkness outside. Trying to pull back her blanket to sleep, she saw
her, she sat there in the corner legs curled close to her chest, eyes blood red and wide open, moving her
body to and fro vigorously. Ananya quivered and clasped her hands, it isn’t a dream she murmured
looking at her scarily.
She gathered courage and stared back, the same way she used to do day after day on the roads of
Mumbai when preying eyes ogled. “Who are you?” she gulped a lump down her throat. She was quiet but
looked back straight ferociously and moved to and fro holding hugging her knees.
Ananya felt her nerve vibrate on her temple. She touched the swelling with her index finger. “Ah” a
throbbing stinging pain ran through the back of her head. She looked up tightly closing her eyes, then
gently opening them.
She saw her sitting on the ceiling hanging head down still staring. “STOP” Ananya cried out loud. The
throbbing stopped, she had vanished and an eerie silence wrapped her.
Ananya closed her eyes once again and smirked then looking at the Shiv idol that lay where the beam of
light fell.
She had calmed her demon within….albeit for now!